Oliver Cowdery

“ You see the great wisdom in God in leading him thus far, that his mind might begin to be more matured, and thereby be able to judge correctly, the spirits. I do not say that he would not have obtained the record had he went according to the direction of the angel-I say that he would; but God knowing all things from the beginning, began thus to instruct his servant. And in this it is plainly to be seen that the adversary of truth is not sufficient to overthrow the work of God. You will remember that I said, two invisible powers were operating upon the mind of our brother while going to Cumorah. ”

“ Juvenile Instructor, xiv. 2–3; Reynolds' Myth of the Manuscript Found, passim; Lee's Mormonism, 119–26; Clements' Roughing It, 127–35; Pop. Science Monthly, lvi. 165–73; Bennett's Mormonism Exposed, 103–40. See letter from Thurlow Weed, also statement by Mrs Matilda Spaulding McKinstry in Scribner's Mag., Aug. 1880, 613–16.
↑ Oliver Cowdery ‘is a blacksmith by trade, and sustained a fair reputation until his intimacy commenced with the money digger. He was one of the many in the world who always find time to study out ways and means to live without work. ”

“ To grant a humble penitent sinner a refreshing draught from this most pure of all fountains, and most desirable of all refreshments, to a thirsty soul, is a matter for the full performance of which the sacred record stands pledged. ”

“ There may be found a few righteous enough to save it; but, with all its religion, and its righteousness, New York seems to me like a congregated mass of heedless mortals, a sink of corruption, a road to misery—a gate to hell! ”

“ Should I, however, be instrumental in causing a few to hear before they judge, and understand both sides of this matter before they condemn, I shall have the satisfaction of seeing them embrace it, as I am certain that one is the inevitable fruit of the other. ”

“ To unite with a society professing to be built upon the only sure foundation, and that profession be a vain one, was calculated in its very nature, the more it was contemplated, the more to arouse the mind to the serious consequences of moving hastily in a course fraught with eternal realities. ”

“ In vain did the hoary head and man of gray hairs ask for mercy—in vain did the mother plead for compassion—in vain did the helpless and harmless infant weep for very anguish—and in vain did the virgin seek to escape the ruthless hand of revengeful foes and demons in human form—all alike were trampled down by the feet of the strong, and crushed beneath the rage of battle and war! ”

“ Do our fathers, who have waded through affliction and adversity, who have been cast out from the society of this world, whose tears have, times without number, watered their furrowed face, while mourning over the corruption of their fellowmen, an inheritance in those mansions? ”

“ East River is lined with craft from the Oyster-man's skiff to the lofty and majestic ship which rides the waves of the giant Pacific. Here the wealth of the world and merchandize of the earth, have been wafted to fill up the blessings of a people, the most favored of any now on earth. ”

“ I am aware, that a rehearsal of visions, of angels, at this day, is as inconsistent with a portion of mankind as it formerly was, after all the boast of this wise generation in the knowledge of the truth ”

“ We listened—we gazed—we admired! ‘Twas the voice of the angel from glory—‘twas a message from the Most High! and as we heard we rejoiced, while his love enkindled upon our souls, and we were wrapt in the vision of the Almighty! Where was room for doubt? No where; uncertainty had fled, doubt had sunk no more to rise, while fiction and deception had fled forever! ”

“ Reason may be called what it may, and be urged upon us by whom it may, but when it opposes itself to facts it ceases to be reason, and is only to be set down in an even column with thousands of assertions which have neither reason nor common sense for a foundation. ”

“ I know much may be conveyed to the understanding in writing, and many marvellous truths set forth with the pen, but after all it is but a shadow, compared to an open vision of seeing, hearing and realizing eternal things. ”

“ Alas! who can reflect upon the last struggles of great and populous nations, sinking to dust beneath the hand of justice and retribution, without weeping over the corruption of the human heart, and sighing for the hour when the clangor of arms shall no more be heard, nor the calamities of contending armies be any more experienced for a thousand years? ”

“ On this point we have only one opinion: When the Lord judges the secrets of men's hearts, those miserable beings will be cast off as the shedders of innocent blood and the destroyers of peace and human happiness. ”

“ However, as fate, steam, or power of engine, would have it, the Erie, after touching at Catskill and Westpoint, where the Rochester did not, went into New York a few miles "ahead." Every one on board seemed to be glad, but few to realize, that by such an extra pressure of speed, the lives of hundreds had been made to hang as by a single hair. For one, I thanked God that myself and friends were safely landed.
New York is a large town—I have no doubt but it is as rich, and as poor—as proud, and as humble—as lofty, and as low—as virtuous, and as vile ”

“ Man may deceive his fellow man—deception may follow deception, and the children of the wicked one may have power to seduce the foolish and untaught, till naught but fiction feeds the many, and the fruit of falsehood carries in its current the giddy to the grave; but one touch with the finger of his love, yes, one ray of glory from the upper world, or one word from the mouth of the Saviour, from the bosom of eternity, strikes it all into insignificance, and blots it forever from the mind! ”

“ Equally vain, though not as apparently vile, is that system which admits the being of a God, but denies his intercourse with men, as the one which contends for annihilation; for of what consequence is it to us whether he exists or not, since we know nothing of him? We cannot say whether he is a merciful being or a tyrant, and if he has any agency or power over us, why not keep us from death, or tell us of our state after? ”

“ The systems of this world may be exploded or annihilated by oppression or falsehood, but it is the reverse with pure religion. There is a power attendant on truth that all the arts and designs of men cannot fathom ”

“ And we now only express our astonishment, that so many others have since gone, and we survive—it cannot be because we are better than they—if any thing, we are inclined to think it because we are not prepared to enter those fair mansions with them, and are mercifully spared to become sanctified, that by-and-by we may enjoy that rest so much desired by all who have once been permitted to gaze for a moment into the society where the wicked never come, and where one eternal round of perfection occupies the attention of the inhabitants. ”

“ But I must close for the present, hoping that the glorious gospel of our Lord, which is so little known at this day, may be carried forth to the ends of the earth, and be proclaimed with demonstration and power, till every nation hears and every soul obeys—and the glory shall be his. ”

“ So wonderful are the works of the Almighty, and so far from our finding out are his ways, that one who trembles to take his holy name into his lips, is left to wonder at his exact providences, and the fulfilment of his purposes in the event of times and seasons. ”

“ Any argument, to either evade or enforce it, is entirely superfluous. We can no more evade it than we can do away a self-evident fact by sophistry: it still tells against the perpetrators of all such crimes, and sounds the knell of departed peace incessantly in their ears. ”

“ There is such a complicated mass of reflection crowding itself upon the mind that no common phraseology can express. To realize that one year and eight months' labor is now before the public; that whether truth or untruth has been disseminated in the same, it must remain, calls for the serious consideration of a candid heart, full with the expectation and assurance, that before the Judge of all, and an assembled universe I must answer for the same. ”

“ The man who can believe that a person uninspired could discourse of such profound subjects with more ease and simplicity than Isaiah Paul or Peter—I say the man who can believe this, is the subject of deep and awful delusion. ”

“ The salvation of man is of that importance that he is not left to a mere belief, founded upon the testimony or say-so of another man! No; flesh and blood cannot reveal it—it must be the Father: and query: If the everlasting Father reveals to men that Jesus is the Son of God, can they be overthrown? ”

“ But the period is rolling on when night will close, and those who are found worthy will inherit that city where neither the light of the sun nor moon will be necessary! "for the glory of God will lighten it, and the Lamb will be the light thereof." ”

“ If one professed a degree of authority or preference in consequence of age or right, and that superiority was without evidence, it was insufficient to convince a mind once aroused to that degree of determination which at that time operated upon him. ”

“ The generation following were ready to suppose, that those men who believed the word of God were as perfect as those to whom it was delivered supposed they must be, and were as forward to prescribe the rules by which they were governed, or rehearse laws and declare them to be the governing principles of the prophets, as though they themselves held the keys of the mysteries of heaven, and had searched the archives of the generations of the world. ”

“ Not to occupy time on the absurdity of that system which confesses that the great Author of our being once conversed with men, but has now ceased, we pass directly to the last subject of faith or belief. For, after having ranged through the wide field of matter, and seen the great changes in nature, and the consistency, and in fact, the certainty of the continuance of the soul, we confess we have but little faith in a person who may be called our Creator, who once spake to man, but will do so no more! ”

“ You have now beheld the power of God manifested and the power of satan: you see that there is nothing that is desirable in the works of darkness; that they cannot bring happiness; that those who are overcome therewith are miserable, while on the other hand the righteous are blessed with a place in the kingdom of God where joy unspeakable surrounds them. There they rest beyond the power of the enemy of truth, where no evil can disturb them. The glory of God crowns them, and they continually feast upon his goodness and enjoy his smiles. ”

“ All this passed before him, and the heavenly messenger said, "All this is shown, the good and the evil, the holy and impure, the glory of God and the power of darkness, that you may know hereafter the two powers and never be influenced or overcome by that wicked one. Behold, whatever entices and leads to good and to do good, is of God, and whatever does not is of that wicked one: It is he that fills the hearts of men with evil, to walk in darkness and blaspheme God ”

“ The author of my existence knows the sorrowing of my heart, on the reflection that our country has come to this, that the weak must be trodden down by the strong, and disorder, confusion and terror, must distract our land and sow the discordant seeds of party strife and party animosity in the hearts of ignorant men, led on by infatuated priests, to overwhelm the continent with blood, and spread destruction and devastation throughout our happy asylum, and expose us to the fire, the sword, the rack and to death! ”

“ Do we not then come to the irresistible conclusion that the professing christian world with all their zeal, and apparent sanctity, are preaching and inculcating another gospel?—The scriptures have told us what the true gospel is, and the effect of it, and when we compare the modern with the ancient we find it suffer in the comparison, therefore, we strongly suspect it is not the same. ”

“ It is impossible; that light which enlightens man is at once enraptured; that intelligence which existed before the world was will unite, and that wisdom in the Divine economy will be so conspicuous, that it will be embraced, it will be observed, and it must be obeyed.
Look at pure religion whenever it has had a place on earth, and you will always mark the same characteristics in all its features. ”

“ To those who have contributed to the columns of the Advocate, I tender my thanks, and hope, that, at least, a consciousness that they have done their Master's will, and set truth before the world, will continue to cheer their hearts as they advance down the stream of time to the day of the reward of the just. ”

“ Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves to the mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. ”

“ To be sure, we may say, that the apostles testify of him, and that we believe they tell us the truth; but will this save a people from destruction, when the cunning arguments of the adversary are leveled as a mighty shaft to shake man from the foundation? ”